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750ml
Bottle:
$20.04
$21.10
12 bottles:
$18.91
1786 VS is a rich Cognac which is the result of high-quality terroirs and experience. Made from Ugni Blanc grapes and...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.54
$33.20
12 bottles:
$30.40
A blend of fine cognacs from 15-30 years old, this XO Cognac is characterized by a pleasant light-gold color,...
750ml
Bottle:
$74.55
$78.47
6 bottles:
$62.39
A very delicate blend of eaux-de-vie from Grande and Petite Champagne, aged between 8 and 15 years in cask, and...
750ml
Bottle:
$65.03
6 bottles:
$57.59
TOP 100 SPIRITS OF 2019 - This Cognac offers rich aromas and flavors, yet still remains light and easygoing....
750ml
Bottle:
$235.52
$247.92
Carefully matured, balancing the influence of oak with that of time, to produce a complex Cognac. Rich, sweet and...
750ml
Bottle:
$100.32
6 bottles:
$99.60
Complex and in need of some time to breathe. However, patience is rewarded with richness, fruit and the layers of...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.49
12 bottles:
$13.22
The Chardonnay was naturally fermented and took a long time to complete fermentation, resulting in great texture and...
750ml
Bottle:
$35.25
6 bottles:
$34.54
Consisting of over half Chenin Blanc with 14% Semillon, 13% Roussanne, 9% Viognier, 6% Grenache Blanc and 4%...
750ml
Bottle:
$27.87
$31.10
Balsamic aromas of camphor and leather mingle earthy whiffs of forest floor, violet and wild berry. Savory, focused...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.94
12 bottles:
$26.40
The 2020 Barbaresco Sandaive is a blend of fruit from Rizzi and Roche Massalupo. Dark and nicely layered, with...
![Aeris [By Rhys] Nebbiolo 'Centennial Mountain' 2019 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/d4/d4180ece6a416f3caebb31584f0eeba0.jpg)
750ml
Bottle:
$75.60
12 bottles:
$71.82
The 2019 Nebbiolo Centennial Mountain Vineyard is a wild, powerful wine endowed with tons of structure and...
750ml
Bottle:
$52.99
6 bottles:
$51.94
As always, the nose is intense and exotic, sporting salted lemon and quince, oatmeal and a hint of white flowers. The...
5.0Ltr
Bottle:
$21.48
$22.61
4 bottles:
$19.61
Aromas of tropical fruit and lemon zest. Crisp, refreshing and full-flavored. Flavors of peach, pear and rich mineral...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.17
12 bottles:
$14.87
Subdued notes of ripe pear suggest mellowness. The palate adds fitting, bright freshness and provides a very...
750ml
Bottle:
$35.94
The 2020 Blanco Edad Media is a Chardonnay with a dash of 10% Chenin Blanc from a 30-year-old vineyard in La...
750ml
Bottle:
$9.36
$12.94
The 2022 Blanco is an unoaked blend of 52% Sémillon, 28% Chenin Blanc and 20% Pedro Giménez from old parral...
Cognac Insolia Mavrodaphne Nebbiolo White Blend
For over three hundred years, Cognac has enjoyed its reputation as the king of brandies. Indeed, it is widely regarded as the finest drink to be distilled from grapes to be found anywhere in the world, and it is a testament to its producers and the master craftsmen who make it that this reputation has never faltered, and remains as strong as ever to this day.
Cognac is produced solely in the beautiful towns of Cognac and Jarnac, found about fifty miles north of Bordeaux, on the west coast of France. Here, around six thousand grape growers work exclusively in the production of white wine, used for the Cognac distilleries which are scattered throughout the region. The wines are made primarily from the Ugni Blanc or Trebbiano grape - one of the most commonly planted grape varietals in the world - which benefit from the cool, coastal climate and mineral rich soils which are found there. The wines themselves wouldn’t be suitable for drinking in themselves, as they are high in acid and low in alcohol, but this makes them ideal for distillation, and they can impart their wonderful, complex, rich flavors to the brandy.
Cognac varies quite significantly from bottle to bottle, depending on how long it has been aged for, and which appellation it comes from. The Cognac region is split into six separate Crus, all with their own distinctive characteristics, and the spirit can be aged from two years (VS) to six (Hors d’Age and Napoleon) and longer.
In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.
Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.
Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.
Additional Information on Greek Wines
Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?
The Nebbiolo grape varietal is widely understood to be the fruit responsible for Italy's finest aged wines. However, its popularity and reliability as a grape which gives out outstanding flavors and aromas has led it to be planted in many countries around the world, with much success. These purple grapes are distinguishable by the fact that they take on a milky dust as they begin to reach maturity, leading many to claim that this is the reason for their unusual name, which means 'fog' in Italian. Nebbiolo grapes produce wines which have a wide range of beautiful and fascinating flavors, the most common of which are rich, dark and complex, such as violet, truffle, tobacco and prunes. They are generally aged for many years to balance out their characteristics, as their natural tannin levels tend to be very high.